One Day, One Place: The best of Yosemite Valley

1of4The famed Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park is now known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.Photo: John Walker / Fresno Bee 2014

2of4Melvin Mann and his wife, Esther Mann (right), listen to Julia Parker as she weaves her basket at the Yosemite Museum in 2013.Photo: Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2013

3of4El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, in Yosemite, Calif., on Monday Jan. 22, 2018. The National Park is hoping to return to full staff soon after the US Senate voted to end the Federal government shutdown today.Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

4of4A view of Yosemite Valley.Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Yosemite Valley has captivated the hearts and minds of Californians for centuries. Its granite walls inspired John Muir’s famous musings; Ansel Adams later described the valley as “always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.”

More recently, the valley has provided an arena for the planet’s top rock climbers. El Capitan, the 3,000-foot monolith that sticks out from the valley’s north wall like a giant foot, is widely considered the most important climbing feature on Earth.

The valley is the destination that most visitors appear to love best. Of the 4 million people who visited Yosemite last year, rangers estimate that at least 80% came through the 1-mile-wide, 7.5-mile-long valley itself, most likely for a glimpse of iconic features such as El Cap, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.

While the valley can be overrun with visitors in summer, spring is a quieter time to visit. Crowds are thinner. Lines are shorter. Go mid-week and you might feel as if you’ve got the place mostly to yourself. This slower vibe presents a perfect opportunity to explore.

The earlier you can begin your day in Yosemite Valley, the better. Park near Yosemite Valley Lodge and get rolling around 7 a.m. with coffee and pastries from the park’s only Starbucks, which opened last March in the hotel’s refurbished dining hall. You’ll leave your car here for the day, so be sure to take your camera, sunscreen and plenty of water along with your coffee-shop loot as you walk across Northside Drive to the trailhead for the half-mile paved trail to Lower Yosemite Falls. During a typical spring, the spectacle of Yosemite Creek plunging more than 2,500 feet on its three-tiered journey down the cliffside is remarkable. This spring, after tons of snow all winter long, the waterfall has been downright awesome in the truest sense of the word, and will be cranking well into summer.

Follow the Lower Yosemite Falls trail about a mile to another paved walking path toward Yosemite Village, the central hub of the valley. As you go, pay attention to the forest around you — hundreds upon hundreds of downed cedar, fir, pine and spruce trees tell the story of this past heavy winter on the valley floor. Rangers say heavy snow and strong winds felled more trees this year than they have in any year they can remember. Nature follows a script of its own.

Midday

By the time you hit Yosemite Village, you will have logged about a mile, and most of the shops and services will be opening for the day. Spend an hour or so browsing the Ansel Adams Gallery, a studio that dates to the early 1900s and now displays original work by Adams and photographers he inspired. The current exhibition, “A World of Alternatives,” runs through June 29 and highlights nature photos developed with non-traditional printing methods such as platinum and carbon.

From the gallery, stroll up the hill to the Yosemite Museum, one of the best places to learn about the park’s geology and history. Items in the collection include 100-year-old Native American baskets, a tin cup from one of Muir’s first expeditions in the park, and some of the first sketches of the valley by artist Thomas Ayers, who first traveled to Yosemite in 1855. In many ways, the building, constructed circa-1925, is a treasure unto itself; it was the first structure to be built as a museum in the national park system, and its educational initiatives served as a model for parks nationwide.

Complete the Yosemite Village trifecta with lunch at Degnan’s Kitchen, just a few steps away. The cafeteria-style eatery serves up hamburgers, pizza, salads, deli sandwiches and more. The food isn’t going to get rave reviews on Yelp, but the views of El Capitan from the patio out front make up for any culinary shortcomings.

Afternoon

With a belly full of fuel, it’s time to log some miles on the trail.

From Degnan’s, walk down to the Village Store and hop on the free Yosemite Valley Shuttle, which runs in a counterclockwise loop around the valley all day long. Disembark at the Happy Isles Nature Center (Stop 16), cross the bridge that spans the Merced River, and hang a right on the paved trail to Vernal Fall. This is the trailhead for a variety of backcountry destinations (including Half Dome), making it one of the busiest trails in the park, so expect some traffic.

You’re hiking about 3 miles round trip. The first mile or so climbs steadily until the trail crosses a footbridge with unobstructed views both up and downriver. Turn around here or continue on the Mist Trail for another mile to the base of the waterfall, where you’ll be rewarded for your effort with a refreshing mist shower as you approach.

Evening

No visit to the Yosemite Valley would be complete without at least a few moments at The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, accessible from Stop 3 on the shuttle. This property was known as the Ahwahnee until a lawsuit forced the National Park Service to change the name. The main lodge was built in the 1920s, and after renovations in 2016 it retains the distinctive feel that has come to characterize the Park Service’s rustic architecture. Whatever they call this place, it always will be special.

Start the Majestic experience in the bar, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out on Glacier Point and Half Dome. Pair a plate of parmesan french fries with an El Capitini, a cocktail with vodka, Cointreau, sparkling wine, pomegranate and pineapple juices.

From there, follow signs to the Dining Room, which has operated continuously since 1927. The combination of 34-foot-high ceilings, pine trestles, granite pillars and chandeliers give the space a regal feel, and tried-and-true dinner options such as New York strip steak and roasted rack of lamb Provencal amplify this vibe. If you’re lucky enough to grab a table by the windows, be on the lookout for deer or a bobcat that likes to patrol the hotel grounds. Even with nature all around, catching a glimpse of wildlife over a glass of wine feels like a special treat.

Matt Villano is a freelance writer and editor based in Healdsburg. He started the Chronicle's Gaming column in 2006, and updates two different guidebooks about Las Vegas every year. When he's not covering gambling, Villano also writes about travel, family travel, parenting, business and technology for a variety of publications.